For months, tensions have been mounting between SATIIM, the Sarstoon Temash Institute of Indigenous Management, and US Capital Energy Limited that is carrying out pre-drilling activities within Maya communal lands in the Sarstoon Temash National Park. On Wednesday, despite numerous court rulings affirming the rights of the Maya on communal lands, Government waived the expiration […]
After weeks of speculation and more than a decade at the helm of Citrus Products of Belize Limited, C.E.O., Doctor Henry Canton, has tonight stepped down from the post. This afternoon, a press release was issued by CPBL announcing Canton’s departure after a twelve-year period and a lofty salary as C.E.O. While he remains a […]
A land dispute is tonight brewing between residents of Cotton Tree Village and Port Loyola Area Representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, following the parceling out of two hundred and fifty lots to be distributed among residence of his constituency. The village council is up in arms, as it believes that they were not consulted prior to […]
On Wednesday, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Health, Peter Allen, was under fire particularly for the recent appointment of Danini Contreras as Director of Drug Inspectorate. There is one other issue that we did not report on because of the volume of news and it has to do with the Central Regional Administrator, Melinda Guerra, […]
Danini Contreras – the young lady from Benque has come under very intense scrutiny after she was appointed to the newly created post of Drug Inspectorate Director and today per appointment came under fire from within the top ranks of the Ministry of Health. She has just returned from studies in Guatemala, and has absolutely […]
News Five confirmed on Tuesday that newcomer Contreras is now also authorized to approve the entry of pharmaceuticals through Customs. That decision was taken by C.E.O. in the Ministry of Health Peter Allen. He claims he did so because he was told that Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson was on strike and could not hold the […]
As we told you, Contreras is now authorized to approve the entry of pharmaceuticals through Customs. That has raised all sorts of unpleasant speculation. Minister Erwin Contreras is considered a heavy player in Benque Viejo and bordering Guatemala, and his daughter’s new-found authority even before her post is confirmed has raised eyebrows. Today, Ministry of […]
Aside from authorization to Danini Contreras, Ministry of Health C.E.O. Peter Allen has also issued authority to two others to approve entry of medical supplies through Customs. As we’ve also confirmed, Director of Health Services Michael Pitts has been left out of the loop. He had no knowledge of the appointment of Contreras, and likewise, […]
With all that out of the way, we can get to the matter of the Public Service Union, which has declared the Danini Contreras appointment as an essential services dispute. The union got on board after Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson reported that she had been a victim of some serious and devious shenanigans in the […]
Five of thirteen mothers are taking legal action against the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for negligence. An attorney has filed a claim against the hospital for the deaths which occurred between the months of April and May of 2013 due to the bacteria, enterobacter cloacae. The newborns had received an initial good prognosis, but died […]
Attorney Kareem Musa is also representing the grassroots organization, COLA in a private prosecution of former minister Elvin Penner who illegally issued a passport to a South Korean fugitive who had never set foot in Belize. Musa complained today that despite seeking the documentation, he has been running into roadblocks and there has generally been […]
The battle between the Belize Tourism Industry Association, Norwegian Cruise Line and the Government of Belize over the construction of a proposed port of call at Harvest Caye will imminently be waged in the Supreme Court. B.T.I.A., having written the Department of the Environment concerning the approval of an environmental impact assessment for NCL to […]
According to Krohn, while the fifty million U.S. dollar project is unwarranted, it is largely the brainchild of former C.E.O. in the Ministry of Tourism, Mike Singh. Singh, who is now second in command of the Ministry of Trade and Investment, has been engaged in a back and forth with several individuals, including Mary Toy, […]
Earlier in the newscast, you heard Attorney Kareem Musa defending five mothers who have been aggrieved by the death of their newborns. Well, Musa also confirmed that he has thrown his hat into the political ring. Musa presented his name for the People’s United Party to contest the Caribbean Shores Division against incumbent, Santiago Castillo. […]
Today, the Ministry of Health held a special ceremony to acknowledge the efforts of the administration and staff of the Matron Roberts Polyclinic Two. That’s because the facility, which consistently receives high marks, has obtained the highest scores as an NHI Primary Care provider for 2013 – one hundred percent in facility assessment, services, health […]
The Princess Hotel is now formally the Ramada Belize City Princess. The announcement was made by new General Manager Erol Olcan this morning, during a media breakfast at the hotel. The Ramada brand is owned by the Windham Hotel Group, which is the largest hotel company in the world, operating well known chains like Planet […]
On Friday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the media that government would not enforce the deadline for U.S. Capital’s existing permit to conduct exploratory work within the Sarstoon-Temash National Park. That license expires on Wednesday. While there have been significant developments on the part of SATIIM, particularly the ejection of Valentin Makin as First Alcalde […]
Executive Director Greg Ch’oc has offered comment on Makin’s abrupt removal. The former Alcalde reportedly signed a document stating that the village of Conejo, one of five buffer communities surrounding the Sarstoon Temash National Park, consents to have U.S. Capital proceed with exploratory work within the protected area. Ch’oc says that the procedure to oust […]
The community of Shipyard in the Orange Walk district is home to thirty-five hundred Mennonites. They’re generally considered a peaceful, hardworking, quiet people. Their homes, farmlands and industrial sites are well-kept models of efficiency. But where Shipyard is concerned, there are growing reports of a dark underbelly of religious persecution, fear and violence. The small […]
Like Vegas, what happens in Mennonite communities generally stay in Mennonite communities. But one altercation last week has prompted members of Shipyard to come forward and speak out. It’s almost shocking to learn that violence has become a part of daily life in the community. Mike Rudon has the story. Reporter “You’ve seen these […]
The Pharmacists’ Association of Belize and the Ministry of Health have been at odds for some time now. The discord came on the heels of the appointment of Danini Contreras, the daughter of Minister Erwin Contreras, as Drug Inspectorate in the ministry. Support for the association has since been overwhelming and for the past two […]
And where pharmacy-related matters are concerned, things in the Ministry of Health just got even more interesting. The Public Service Union has gotten involved, and made its presence known today with a fiery release. Here’s what precipitated the union’s involvement, in a nutshell, and you can connect the dots. Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson is currently […]
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an annual general meeting held recently, has appointed a new president. Businessman Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez succeeds immediate past President Kay Menzies, who has served in that capacity for the past four years. The AGM also saw the election of new councilors to the executive of the BCCI. […]
While the issue of a thirteenth senator has remained all but moot, Vasquez says that the matter will be put before the executive and membership of the chamber and, depending on their collective position, will advocate that the Barrow administration honors its word. Arturo ‘Tux’ Vasquez, President, BCCI “Yeah that has been a bit […]
The Public Utilities Commission has approved a rate increase requested by Belize Water Services Ltd. While it is not the sixteen and a quarter percent initially sought by the company, water rates across the country, with the exception of Caye Caulker, will be going up by approximately fifty-five cents. On December thirty-first, 2013, BWSL made […]
